Women are being increasingly held back from reaching senior positions in renewables companies, delegates at the RenewableUK annual conference heard.
OpenHydro environment and external affairs manager Sue Barr said the corporatisation of the industry has hardened a ‘glass ceiling’.
“As we’ve moved towards the corporate model, it has pushed women back down the line. We’ve been restrained as the industry has become more of a traditional business model.”
OpenHydro is looking at implementing targets to raise the number of women in senior positions, she added.
The government-sponsored POWERful Women group led by the Energy Institute has a target of ensuring females hold 40% of energy company middle management positions and 30% of executive board seats by 2030.
Atkins group head of offshore wind Katherine Ward said it was also considering introducing targets.
“Gender targets are controversial, but the industry is very imbalanced and it needs extra impetus to get more diversity and equality,” she added.
“We’re not doing well in retaining women particularly when they go off on maternity leave. We’re putting in more effort to make sure women reach senior positions.”
Vestas UK and Ireland head of public affairs Sarah Merrick said the renewables industry had become ever more dominated by men in suits.
“Women have lost their advantage over the past 10 years when the industry was more niche. We’ve lost the diversity it had.”
Image: reNEWS
